Going to work without educational qualifications: school-to-work transitions of early school leavers in Belgium

ABSTRACT

Risks of exclusion can occur in multiple forms and start early in life. Early school leavers are especially at risk of social exclusion as this is strongly related to turbulent school-to-work-transitions. These young people often find themselves in low-qualified work or unemployment. In this article, we explore the labour market experiences of early school leavers in Flanders, Belgium. In total, 15 in-depth interviews were conducted with nine early school leavers and analysed following a grounded theory approach. Our results demonstrate the difficulties early school leavers encounter in their transitions from school to work and their precarious situation in the labour market. Of particular relevance are the insights gained in revealing the perspectives of young people on the importance of educational qualifications, work experience and participation in the labour market, as well as the strategies they develop to enter the labour market without educational qualifications.     

Does unemployment lead to isolation? The consequences of unemployment for social networks

Popular accounts in both social science and society claim that unemployment goes together with social withdrawal. However, empirical support for this conclusion is largely derived from cross-sectional studies or indirect measurements of social contacts. In this study, we argue that consequences of unemployment for personal networks differ across social groups and by length of unemployment. Using longitudinal data from the Swiss Household Panel (1999–2010), we focus on three frequently employed social network statistics: network size, contact frequency, and perceived support by friends, family, neighbors, and acquaintances. We estimate how short (<1 year) and long term (>1 year) unemployment relates to these network characteristics for men and women, people below and above 50 years of age, and lower and higher educated individuals. Our results provide a more-nuanced perspective on the commonly assumed social withdrawal following unemployment.     

Helping mothers to combine paid and unpaid work–or fighting unemployment? the ambiguities of french family policy

The Family Law' passed by the French Parliament in July 1994 introduced important changes in family policy. Because the number of publicly subsidised childcare places is still very limited, and to encourage families to create employment (by employing childcare workers), the government has chosen to encourage the development of a variety of childcare provisions by increasing the financial incentives payable to parents employing a private nanny or child-minder. The same rationale of reducing unemployment has also prompted the decision to extend existing child rearing benefit to families having a second child. This measure has been very successful in encouraging women to retire from the labour market. The high cost of these changes has been shared by Social Security and the State. However, the changes have contributed to the increased polarisation between higher and lower wages families, with highly qualified mothers, who can afford childcare costs, remaining in paid employment after giving birth, and lower qualified mothers leaving the labour market.     

我国欠发达地区失业面临的难题及对策

通过社会调查、文献研究对经济欠发达地区与经济发达地区的失业保险现状及发展趋势进行比较分析,指出我国经济欠发达地区失业保险面临失业压力巨大,保障功能脆弱,基金筹集困难和支出结构不合理,管理不科学等四大难题。提出国家在就业培训方面应给予不发达地区更多支持,实行多元化筹资,调整基金支出结构,基金征、管、用三分离,把失业保险纳入法制化、规范化轨道,提高失业保险机构管理水平等具体政策建议     

中国地区失业率的邻居效应实证分析

本文通过空间权重法和空间虚拟变量法设计了中国地区失业率邻居效应变量,并将其加入地区失业率模型后使用1995～2007年中国省域数据进行实证研究。实证结果表明中国地区失业率邻居效应显著存在,这表明毗邻省份失业情况会明显影响本地区失业率水平,这意味着本省在进行就业政策制定时需考虑毗邻省份的实际情况,与此同时,毗邻省份间的充分沟通与合作应成为减少本省遭受外部失业冲击影响的可能措施。     

Welfare reforms and the Refugee Resettlement Strategy: an opportunity to achieve meaningful employment outcomes for New Zealanders from refugee backgrounds?

Despite employment being consistently identified as a key factor in successful refugee resettlement, people from refugee backgrounds in Aotearoa New Zealand are overrepresented in unemployment statistics. Of those who do gain employment, few secure work that is adequately remunerated and commensurate with the person's skills and qualifications. This paper explores whether the two recent government-driven initiatives, the welfare reforms and the New Zealand Refugee Resettlement Strategy, provide an opportunity to address these issues. Based on previous research, the authors identify the main employment barriers facing people from refugee backgrounds. They argue that while the welfare reforms and the Refugee Resettlement Strategy are underpinned by a desire to see more people in employment, for real change to occur, an integrated holistic approach is needed. This approach needs to include additional resourcing for government-funded specialist one-on-one employment programmes that are available in all regions where refugees are resettled. These programmes combined with access to fully funded English language tuition and work experience and internship opportunities would help reduce the barriers people from refugee backgrounds face when seeking employment.     

抑制我国社会充分就业的因素及对策分析

就业问题是一个世界性的难题.实现社会充分就业是政府施政的基本纲领,是社会稳定的基础,是全面建设小康社会的基本要求.目前我国政府正面临极大的就业压力.劳动者就业供需矛盾十分突出,形势严峻,究其原因既有客观体制的因素,又有运行机制的原因,还有微观主体失业者自身的问题.因此,要实现充分就业,缩小收入差距,促进社会进一步稳定,笔者提出了大力发展个体工商户和中小企业,最大限度创造就业机会;改进工商管理制度,改善创业和就业环境等对策建议.     

德国魏玛时代失业问题探析

魏玛时期的失业问题伴随当时德国社会经济的发展呈现出明显的阶段性特征。第一个阶段是战后的初期阶段,魏玛德国的失业问题开始凸显,在恶性通货膨胀的影响下,失业规模在1923年底迅速扩大。第二个阶段是相对稳定时期,随着德国经济持续的发展,失业问题开始得到缓解。但20年代中期的"合理化运动"又导致德国出现了结构性失业和技术性失业,这两种长期性失业类型使德国的失业率居高不下。第三阶段是大萧条时期,经济大危机重创了魏玛德国的社会经济,再加上政府经济政策的失误和劳动人口结构的改变,严重失业问题直到共和国的崩溃也未能解决。     

国际金融危机背景下中国的社会稳定与社会就业

2008年由美国引发的全球金融危机,不仅给中国经济带来巨大冲击,而且使中国社会稳定面临前所未有的挑战。金融危机向社会蔓延,要经过一系列传导和反向传导过程。在此过程中,失业是经济危机导向社会危机的传导机制。维护社会稳定,必须解决失业问题,而在金融危机时期解决就业问题,必须将短期应急和长远战略综合起来寻找对策。因此,保持经济增长、促进劳资合作、发展社区服务、推动科技创新、完善社会保障制度等是解决就业问题的必然选择。     

北京市失业保险金支出与公共就业服务联动机制研究

本文以北京市失业保险金在公共就业服务上的支出为主题,以失业人员为主要调查对象,对失业保险金促进就业的作用及公共就业服务效果进行深入调研,客观分析与评价了北京市失业保险金在公共就业服务上的支出效果,旨在找出该过程中存在的问题,并提出有针对性的对策和建议。